Five months later, large portions of Texas and Louisiana continue to rebuild after Hurricane Harvey’s mighty winds and massive flooding on Aug. 26 caused more than $125 million of damage and killed 68 people. News of the untold suffering there touched the compassionate hearts of youth ministry members and Confirmation students at Our Lady of Consolation (OLC) Parish in Wayne and inspired them to collect a deluge of donations for the Shrine of the True Cross in Dickinson, Texas.

Catholics who minister to young people often get tempted to fill the schedule with “epic” entertainment-type experiences that they hope will get youths more excited about their faith. Instead, these ministers could help to animate the faith of their young people more effectively by drawing them to the excitement of developing a relationship with Christ through silence, mediation, prayer and the sacraments with the Eucharist at the center.

All churches in the Paterson Diocese will be open on Monday evenings from Feb. 19 to March 19 during Lent for all to experience God’s healing love and forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Through the Diocese’s “Welcome Home to Healing” initiative, every church in Morris, Sussex and Passaic counties is inviting Catholics, especially those who have been away from the Church, to come home to receive forgiveness and healing in the Sacrament of Reconciliation during Lent.

A procedural vote on a Senate bill to ban abortions after 20 weeks failed Jan. 29 when the cloture motion, which would have prevented a filibuster on the bill, failed to get the required 60 votes to pass with a final vote of 51-46.

Bishop Serratelli made a pastoral visit to St. Margaret of Scotland Parish in Morristown Feb. 3 where he celebrated the vigil Mass for the Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time. After the Mass, a blessing of the throats was held to mark the Feast of St. Blaise, which is celebrated on Feb. 3.

When Friday night comes along and the weekend is here, most teenage girls have plans — a movie with friends, a date night, or just hanging at home with the family. But for teenage girls seeking something totally out of the box, some might be inclined to do something truly life-changing — like spending a Friday night with religious sisters to examine if they may have a calling to religious life.

It’s a typical Tuesday night at Frank’s Pizza in Hopatcong as a small group of regulars sit at their usual table looking over dinner specials as they get ready to order. Yet this less-than-typical bunch of diners, consisting of local Catholics and some other locals, gathers on Tuesdays at the local eatery for something not found on the menu: spirited conversations about Catholic teaching and worship and how believers can live out those values today.

When practicing their faith, Catholics often think about the relationships they have with God the Father and Jesus the Son. To get closer, they pray, attend Mass, follow the teachings of the Church and take part in the sacraments. But St. Mary Parish has been giving parishioners the opportunity to delve deeper into their faith lives by also considering a relationship with the Holy Spirit.

“Fake news” is a term used almost every day by President Trump to dismiss in a single phrase what he feels is biased news coverage of his administration. But the term, “fake news” is being used more and more these days, with even Pope Francis’ message for the World Day of Social Communications focusing on the topic of “fake news.”

While hundreds of thousands, including many from the Diocese of Paterson, took part in the 45th annual March for Life in Washington, D.C. Jan. 19, New Jersey pro-life advocates held a statewide rally in Trenton on the steps of the capital building Jan. 22, the actual anniversary of U.S. Supreme Court decision on Roe v. Wade which made abortion legal in 1973.

At any given Mass, two recently constructed freestanding wooden kneelers in Our Lady of Mount Carmel (OLMC) Church, Swartswood, almost look as if they are kneeling in prayer on the floor before the altar while they wait to accommodate worshippers who choose to receive Holy Communion while kneeling.

Millions of eyes will be focused on Super Bowl LII, when the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles play Feb. 4 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. But as the kick-off nears, victim advocates are warning all of us about a darker side to major sporting events: human trafficking.